Protesters marched up Channing Street in Berkeley, Calif. and then sat down. Hundreds jammed Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley to call attention to the high cost of education. The students and their supporters then marched on a local Bank of America.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Protesters marched up Channing Street in Berkeley, Calif. and then...

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Protesters blocked the entrance to the Bank of America after their rally. Hundreds jammed Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley to call attention to the high cost of education. The students and their supporters then marched on a local Bank of America.

UC Berkeley protestors lays on the lawn at Sprawl Plaza in hand cuffs as police struggle with a man rear as students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland and San Francisco set up tents to start their own Occupy demonstration on campus Wednesday November 9, 2011

A UC Berkeley student, who declined to give his name, links arms with Occupy Cal protesters in a failed attempt to block police officers from removing tents near Sproul Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, in Berkeley, Calif.

Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle

A UC Berkeley student, who declined to give his name, links arms...

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Alameda County Sheriff's take up positions on UC Berkeley's Sprawl Plaza as they dismantle tents and arrest a half dozen protestors that tried to start an Occupy Berkeley camp similar to Oakland's and San Franciscoês Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Alameda County Sheriff's take up positions on UC Berkeley's Sprawl...

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UC Berkeley Police left rear clash with students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland and San Francisco in Sprawl Plaza after police removed tents and arrested half dozen protestors that tried to start an Occupy Berkeley camp on campus Wednesday November 9, 2011

UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor Harry LeGrande talks to the students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland and San Francisco in an effort to get them to remove their tents from Sprawl Plaza Wednesday November 9, 2011

UC Berkeley police take into custody one of the four hundred plus demonstraiters that had set up tents on Sprawl Plaza as they started their own Occupy demonstration Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley police take into custody one of the four hundred plus...

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Police pushed back with their batons trying to find a way into the small tent site. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Police pushed back with their batons trying to find a way into the...

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An officer held a gun as others dismantled the tents. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

An officer held a gun as others dismantled the tents. After a...

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Police moved in trying to clear a path to reach the tents for removal. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Police moved in trying to clear a path to reach the tents for...

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A young woman pleaded with police to be peaceful. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

A young woman pleaded with police to be peaceful. After a peaceful...

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Protesters erected about a half dozen tents on the grass near Sproul Hall to begin their encampment. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Protesters erected about a half dozen tents on the grass near...

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Many of the protesters pleaded with the police to be peaceful. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Many of the protesters pleaded with the police to be peaceful....

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Police used their batons to push back the young crowd protecting their tents. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Police used their batons to push back the young crowd protecting...

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After the shoving match with police, protesters moved a few tents back in place. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

After the shoving match with police, protesters moved a few tents...

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UC Berkeley students lock arms to protect others occupying tents set up on Sprawl Plaza from University police who have already taken down dozens earlier Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley students lock arms to protect others occupying tents...

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An overview of Sproul Plaza as students voted for an Occupy Cal group. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

An overview of Sproul Plaza as students voted for an Occupy Cal...

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Alfredo Casanova held his six month year old son Alexander and a message to the one percent. Hundreds jammed Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley to call attention to the high cost of education. The students and their supporters then marched on a local Bank of America.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Alfredo Casanova held his six month year old son Alexander and a...

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UC Berkeley students take up positions in protect others occupying tents set up on Sprawl Plaza from University police who have already taken down dozens earlier Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley students take up positions in protect others occupying...

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Students and their supporters raised their hands to vote for an Occupy Cal group on campus. After a peaceful rally and march, protesters voted to form an Occupy Cal group and set up tents near Sproul Hall. Police from the campus and Alameda County sheriffs broke through their human barricade and took the tents Wednesday November 9, 2011.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Students and their supporters raised their hands to vote for an...

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Clever protest signs were common during the event in Berkeley, Calif. Hundreds jammed Sproul Plaza at UC Berkeley to call attention to the high cost of education. The students and their supporters then marched on a local Bank of America.

Photo: Brant Ward, The Chronicle

Clever protest signs were common during the event in Berkeley,...

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A Occupy Oakland demonstraighter right talks to a reporter at UC Berkeley's own Occupy demonstration on Sprawl Plaza Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

A Occupy Oakland demonstraighter right talks to a reporter at UC...

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UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor Harry LeGrande talks to the students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland and San Francisco in an effort to get them to remove their tents from Sprawl Plaza Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley Vice Chancellor Harry LeGrande talks to the students...

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UC Berkeley students set on a window league and listen to speakers after setting up tents to start their own Occupy demonstration on Sprawl Plaza Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley students set on a window league and listen to speakers...

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UC Berkeley students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland and San Francisco listen to speakers after setting up tents to start their own Occupy demonstration on Sprawl Plaza Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley students along with supporters from both Occupy Oakland...

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UC Berkeley students hold hands inside a tent on Sprawl Plaza. University police took down a number of tents during a raid earlier Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley students hold hands inside a tent on Sprawl Plaza....

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UC Berkeley student right speaks to the four hundred plus that have gathered at Sprawl Plaza on the Berkeley campus during an open dialog session as they start their own Occupy demonstration on campus Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley student right speaks to the four hundred plus that have...

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Police remove protesters occupying UC Berkeley on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, in Berkeley, Calif.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.
Ran on: 11-10-2011
Baton-wielding police wade into the night gathering at Sproul Plaza and remove protesters trying to set up an encampment.

UC Berkeley police take into custody one of the four hundred plus demonstraiters that had set up tents on Sprawl Plaza as they started their own Occupy demonstration Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

UC Berkeley police take into custody one of the four hundred plus...

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Three UC Berkeley students sit on the steps at Sprawl Plaza in pain after being hit by both Alameda County Sheriff's officers and UC Berkeley police while clearing the plaza of tents that were part of their own Occupy demonstration Wednesday November 9, 2011

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Three UC Berkeley students sit on the steps at Sprawl Plaza in pain...

Berkeley -- Dozens of police in riot gear descended on UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza on Wednesday in two violent confrontations with student protesters that prevented them from building an Occupy encampment on the campus.

Campus police arrested seven protesters during an afternoon altercation at the plaza after protesters set up three tents, which police promptly tore down.

By evening, protesters had once again erected tents - this time there were seven. Students joined arms and chanted "hold the line" and "the whole world is watching" while police approached with batons and bean-bag guns. After a brief scuffle, police broke through their line and pulled down the tents. Then officers formed a perimeter on the steps of Sproul Hall.

UC police move in for a second time to clear out Occupy UC tents.

Media: San Francisco Chronicle

Andrew Snyder, 25, a graduate student, was locked in arms with fellow protesters when he said he was "crushed" by police as they pushed toward the tents. He said he was surprised the police acted forcefully twice in one day.

"Police don't usually act violently the first day of a camp going up," he said. "This just shows us how afraid they are of the Occupy movement."

The protesters were among thousands of students, faculty and Occupy activists participating in a statewide protest that marked the first banding of the Occupy movement with students against the financial handling of the state's higher education system.

Students had voted to set up an encampment in defiance of university orders, and as soon as they had the first tents up, baton-wielding police moved in on them.

"Put the guns down!" shouted students who had linked arms as police shoved and swung batons, whacking anyone who stood between them and the impromptu encampment outside the administration building.

"It really, really hurt - I got the wind knocked out of me," said doctoral student Shane Boyle, raising his shirt to reveal a red welt on his chest. "I was lucky I only got hit twice."

Six UC Berkeley students and one faculty member, English Professor Celeste Langan, were arrested for resisting and delaying police officers, said Lt. Alex Yao of the UC Berkeley Police, which got help from the Alameda County Sheriff's Office and other UC police.

Tents went back up

When officers withdrew, students quickly set up their tents again, declaring that they would try to stay all night.

Shortly after 6 p.m., Harry Le Grande, vice chancellor of student affairs, announced that the university would not allow anyone to camp overnight, and that those who tried would risk arrest.

Le Grande said they could protest "24-7" for one week in the plaza, but that no tents or sleeping bags would be allowed.

Students said their protest was in preparation for a confrontation at next week's meeting of the Board of Regents in San Francisco.

Firm rejection

In the past, regents have urged student protesters to take their demands to lawmakers in Sacramento rather than to UC leadership. Wednesday's protest represented a firm rejection of that approach.

The day began with a noon rally at Sproul Plaza, where speakers decried the rising costs of public education and aimed their complaints at specific regents who serve on bank boards or run corporations. The regents included Monica Lozano, Dick Blum, Paul Wachter and Leslie Tang Shilling.

In the crowd, doctoral student Rachel Brahinsky, who studies geography, said that joining the Occupy movement will ensure that students' voices are heard beyond campus gates.

"The people who are making the decisions about the financial future of this institution are totally disconnected from the needs of the majority," she said. "The students of the UC come from the majority."

Students' fury

Anger has built for years as tuition has risen while courses and services have declined.

Student Lark Omura captured students' fury as she screamed at the crowd: "We just spent trillions of dollars on the war, and the politicians tell us we have no money for education! When they tell us there's no money, it's a lie!"

Regents did not respond to requests for comment. But UC spokesman Steve Montiel spoke on their behalf. Well-connected regents can raise donations to benefit low-income students, he noted.

"While no tuition action is planned at the regents meeting next week," he added, "we understand the frustration that leads to protests of rising tuition resulting from state disinvestment in higher education. ."